Put Your Phone Away or Get Ready to Pay

Put Your Phone Away or Get Ready to Pay.

Distracted Drivers Beware of U Drive. U Text. U Pay.

For the past decade, distracted driving has taken the Nation’s roads by storm, endangering not only those who drive distracted, but also those drivers’ passengers, adjacent vehicle occupants, and nearby pedestrians. Distracted driving takes many forms: talking on or manipulating the phone, adjusting the radio, applying makeup, eating, or drinking can all distract a driver from the essential task of safe driving. However, texting is one of the most common, pervasive forms of distracted driving, and too many drivers are succumbing to this deadly—and illegal—habit. That’s why the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department is partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to raise awareness about the potentially deadly risks from texting while driving. From April 12 to 16, 2018, as part of the U Drive. U Text. U Pay. campaign, law enforcement will be watching closely for distracted drivers.

Frightening Stats

According to NHTSA, 3,450 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2016.

• In 2016, 9.2 percent of fatal crashes in 2016 were reported as distraction-related.
• Texting while driving has become an especially problematic trend among millennials. According to NHTSA, young drivers 16 to 24 years old have been observed using handheld electronic devices while driving at higher rates than older drivers since 2007.
• Nine percent of drivers 15 to 19 years old who were involved in fatal crashes were reported as being distracted at the time of the crash in 2016. This age group has the largest percentage of drivers who were distracted at the time of a fatal crash.
• Handheld cellphone use while driving is highest among 15- to 29-year-old drivers, but female drivers are most at-risk for being involved in a fatal crash involving a distracted driver.
• Female drivers with a cell phone have been more likely to be involved in fatal distracted-driving crashes as compared to male drivers every year since 2012.

Safety Tips for Driving

• If you are expecting a text message or need to send one, pull over and park your car in a safe location. Once you are safely off the road, it is safe to text.
• Designate your passenger as your “designated texter.” Allow them access to your phone to respond to calls or messages.
• Do not engage in social media scrolling or messaging while driving.
• Cell phone use can be habit-forming. Struggling to not text and drive? Put the cell phone in the trunk or back seat of your vehicle until you arrive at your destination.

2018 St. Patrick’s Day Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving News Release

2018 ST. PATRICK’S DAY BUZZED DRIVING IS DRUNK DRIVING NEWS RELEASE

This St. Paddy’s Day, Don’t Rely on the Luck o’ the Irish:

Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving

St. Patrick’s Day is one of the most popular holidays in the United States. St. Paddy’s Day is heavily celebrated by most Americans with friendly pinches and green beer galore. Sadly, all this merry-making can lead to dangerous driving conditions as party-goers head home. In 2016 alone, 60 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes over the St. Paddy’s Day holiday period (6 p.m. March 16 to 5:59 a.m. March 18). The selfish act of drinking and driving can rip people from their friends and loved ones forever. For this reason, the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department is working to spread the message about the dangers of drunk driving. Even one drink can be one too many. If you’re heading out for the Irish festivities, plan ahead and remember: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.

Superbowl Campaign

Don’t Fumble: Tackle Drunk Driving Before the Clock Starts

Kickoff on America’s favorite pastime is just about ready to start. For many football fans, when it’s time for Super Bowl LII, everyone’s a fan…and Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.

The Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department and local law enforcement officials are huddling up with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for a special Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk reminder to urge football fans across the nation not to drop the ball on this issue.

In all states, drivers are considered alcohol-impaired if they have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. Drunk driving can be deadly, and even small amounts of alcohol can impair judgement to make driving unsafe. In 2016, there were 10,497 fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crashes involving drunk drivers. Among the 10,497 alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities, 67 percent (7,052) were in crashes in which at least one driver had a BAC of .15, almost twice the legal limit.

Be sure to have a game plan for the night so friends and family know who the designated driver is. Please give your keys to a sober driver – our vote for game MVP – before you begin drinking. Sober designated drivers should be sure to carry the ball and refrain from drinking alcohol.

This Super Bowl weekend, be a team player and help keep impaired drivers from getting behind the wheel. Don’t fumble! Designate your sober driver before the big game begins. And remember: Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.

2017 Holiday Campaign

The holiday season is a time full of parties and festivities, but that also means more drunk drivers are on the roadways. With the excitement of holiday celebrations, partygoers might find themselves “buzzed” after having just a drink or two—and without a sober ride home. Law enforcement actively looks for drunk drivers around the holidays. Just one drink can impair your judgment and increase your risk of getting arrested for driving drunk—or worse, causing a crash if you’re behind the wheel. Many factors determine the effect alcohol has on your body, and it can vary depending on factors such as your weight and when you last ate. This holiday, remember: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. If you plan to go out and enjoy the evening with alcohol, make sure you refrain from driving. Review these facts and share the word about the dangers of drunk driving.

Stay Off Santa’s Naughty List: Don’t Drink and Drive.

• This holiday season, Vermont Law Enforcement Agencies are partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over drunk-driving enforcement campaign to help keep impaired drivers off the road. The campaign runs from December 13th to December 31st, 2017.
• According to NHTSA, 37,461 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2016, and 28 percent (10,497) of those fatalities occurred in a crash during which a driver had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) over the legal limit of .08.
• According to NHTSA, 781 people lost their lives in traffic crashes involving a drunk driver during the month of December 2016.
• From 2012 to 2016, there were 3,995 people killed in December crashes that involved drivers with BACs over the legal limit of .08.

Drinking and Driving Will Cost You—Possibly Your Life.

• On average, a DUI can set you back $10,000 in attorney fees, fines, court costs, lost time at work, higher insurance rates, car towing and repairs, and more.
• The financial impact from impaired driving crashes is devastating. Based on 2010 numbers (the most recent year for which cost data is available), impaired-driving crashes cost the United States $44 billion annually.

Plan a Safe Ride Home Ahead of Time—This Holiday Season, and All Year Round.

• First: Plan ahead. You know whether you’ll attend a party. If you plan to drink, plan for a sober driver to take you home. Is it your turn to be the designated driver? Take that role seriously—your friends are relying on you.
• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve only had one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation to get home safely.
• Download NHTSA’s SaferRide mobile app, available on Google Play for Android devices: (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nhtsa.SaferRide&hl=en), and Apple’s iTunes Store for iOS devices: (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/saferride/id950774008?mt=8). SaferRide allows users to call a taxi or a predetermined friend, and identifies the user’s location so he or she can be picked up.
• Use a Designated Driver.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact the Local Law Enforcement.
• Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get them home safely. Don’t worry about offending someone—they’ll thank you later.

Keep your holidays happy and safe by letting someone sober do the driving. Remember: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.

Thanksgiving Seat Belt Campaign

Click It or Ticket This Thanksgiving and Every Day

Thanksgiving Click It or Ticket Campaign Extra Enforcement

• During the busy Thanksgiving travel period, law enforcement agencies will partner with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), State, and local law enforcement and highway safety advocates across the country for the national Click It or Ticket campaign. Across the country, these men and women will participate in a high-visibility mobilization to ramp up patrolling to crack down on seat belt use.

• The Thanksgiving holiday is one of the busiest travel times of the year, which means more vehicles will be on the roads. Increased vehicle activity leads to the potential for more crashes and more fatalities.

• Failing to buckle up puts you and other vehicle passengers in a potentially deadly situation. It’s also against the law – plain and simple. There’s never an excuse to not wear your seat belt.

• The Click It or Ticket campaign combines increased awareness with increased patrolling to reach as many Americans as possible with one key message: Wearing a seat belt is the single most effective way to save your life and the lives of your loved ones while on the road this Thanksgiving.

 Not Buckling Up Can Be Deadly

• During the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in 2015 (6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 25, to 5:59 a.m. on Monday, November 30), there were 301 passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes across the nation, a decrease from the 341 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2014.

• Compared to Thanksgiving weekend in 2014, there was an 11-percentage-point decrease in the number of passenger vehicle occupant fatalities in 2015, and an 8-percentage-point decrease in the number of those who were unbuckled when they were killed that weekend.

• Nighttime is deadlier than daytime in terms of seat belt use. Over the 2015 Thanksgiving weekend, 57 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes at night were unbuckled, compared to 49 percent during the day.

• During all of 2015, a total of 22,441 passenger vehicle occupants were killed in crashes, and nearly half (44%) of them were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash. Among passenger vehicle occupant fatalities in 2015, the age groups of 13-15 and 18-34 had the highest percentages (57% and 58%, respectively) of occupants who were unbuckled at the time of their fatal crash.

Seat Belts Save Lives

• According to NHTSA, seat belts saved approximately 13,941 lives nationwide age 5 and older in 2015. If everyone had worn seat belts that year, an additional 2,804 lives could have been saved.

• Proper seat belt use reduces the risk of fatal injury to front seat passengers by 45 percent and the risk of moderate to serious injury by 50 percent.

• Ejection from a vehicle is one of the most dangerous events that can happen to a person in a crash. In fatal crashes in 2015, almost 8 out of 10 (80%) of the passenger vehicle occupants who were totally ejected from vehicles were killed. Wearing your seat belt is the most effective way to prevent ejections; only 1 percent of the occupants reported to have been wearing their seat belts were totally ejected in a crash, compared to 30 percent who were unbuckled.

This Thanksgiving—and every day of the year—remember, Click It or Ticket.

Halloween Buzzed Driving Campaign

On Halloween, and Every Day, Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving

North Hero, VT — Halloween is a time for making memories, not causing nightmares. This Halloween, Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department is reminding Halloween partiers that Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. Stay safe—and help keep others safe—by refraining from drunk driving. In 2015, there were 55 people killed in drunk-driving-related crashes. If your Halloween party involves alcohol, it’s imperative that you make a plan to get home without getting behind the wheel.

It’s so important to make a plan before heading out to the Halloween festivities. Even one drink can impair judgement. This is why it’s essential to have a plan for how you’ll safely get home after your night of partying, before you ever head out for your event.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 45 percent of all people killed in motor vehicle crashes on Halloween night (6 p.m. October 31 – 5:59 a.m. November 1) from 2011 to 2015 were in crashes involving a drunk driver. Children out trick-or-treating and the parents accompanying them are also at risk, as 36 percent of fatal pedestrian crashes on Halloween night (2011-2015) involved drunk drivers. Younger drivers are most at risk: The 21-to-34-year age group accounted for the most fatalities (64%) in drunk-driving-related crashes during Halloween night in 2015.

It is illegal everywhere in America to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. In 2015, there were 10,265 people killed in drunk-driving-related crashes. Even if you drive drunk and aren’t killed or seriously injured, you could end up paying as much $10,000 for a DUI.

Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving, so follow these simple tips for a safe and happy Halloween:

• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation to get home safely.
• Download NHTSA’s SaferRide mobile app, available on Google Play for Android devices: (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nhtsa.SaferRide&hl=en), and in Apple’s iTunesStore for iOS devices: (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/saferride/id950774008?mt=8). SaferRide allows users to call a taxi or a predetermined friend, and identifies the user’s location so he or she can be picked up.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department.
• Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

For more information, please visit www.TrafficSafetyMarketing.gov.

National Teen Driver Safety Week

National Teen Driver Safety Week
October 15-21, 2017

This week and every week, parents should have conversations with their teens about the important rules they need to follow to stay safe behind the wheel of a passenger car, truck, or SUV. These rules address the greatest dangers for teen drivers: alcohol, inconsistent or no seat belt use, distracted and drowsy driving, speeding, and number of passengers.

The Problem: Too many teens are dying on our roads

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens (15 to 18 years old) in the United States – ahead of all other types of injury, disease, or violence.

There were 1,972 teen drivers of passenger vehicles involved in fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2015. An estimated 99,000 teen passenger vehicle drivers were injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes.

Even if you think they don’t hear you, they do. Remember, set the rules before they hit the road.

2017 Labor Day DUI Campaign

The Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department, in conjunction with the State of Vermont Governor’s Highway Safety Program, will be conducting increased high visibility traffic enforcement to save lives from 08/18/17 through 09/04/17 during the statewide 2017 Labor Day DUI Campaign.  DUI checkpoints will be conducted throughout this campaign as well as DUI high visibility saturation patrols.

The end of summer is traditionally marked by the Labor Day holiday, a yearly national tribute to the contributions made by American workers to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. The long holiday weekend is typically celebrated with picnics, pool parties and barbecues, as family and friends come together to enjoy the last few days of summer. This is also the time of year when our children – our most precious natural resource – typically return to school following their summer vacation. Sadly, the Labor Day holiday weekend is also one of the deadliest, with drunk drivers endangering not only themselves but everyone else on America’s highways.

Impaired driving is one of the deadliest, most often committed, yet preventable crimes committed in our country. In 2015 in the United States, 10,265 people died in alcohol-impaired crashes; that’s equal to 28 people each day or one person every 51 minutes. Nationally about one-third of all fatalities are the result of impaired driving but here in Vermont the numbers are even more grim; of the 62 roadway deaths in 2016, more than half (37) involved a driver impaired by alcohol, drugs, or a combination of both.  More than half of all deaths in Vermont also involve vehicle occupants who did not buckle up! 

High visibility enforcement has been the key to success in Grand Isle County evident in minimal law enforcement response to serious injury crashes or fatalities.  Speeding and distracted driving are the major cause of most crashes in Grand Isle County.  Please continue to help us prevent senseless tragedies!

4th of July Impaired Driving Prevention Campaign

We love to celebrate the 4th of July with family, friends, food, and fireworks, but all too often the festivities turn tragic on the nation’s roads. The fact is, this iconic American holiday is also one of the deadliest holidays of the year due to impaired-driving crashes.

Every day, law enforcement officers work endless hours to keep community members safe. The decisions drivers make before getting behind the wheel of a car affect law enforcement officers’ work, and impaired driving can be one of the deadliest factors. In 2015, 10,265 people were killed in drunk-driving-related crashes. To put it into perspective, that’s one person killed every 51 minutes. That’s the equivalent of 20 jumbo jets crashing, with no survivors.

This Fourth of July, as friends and family travel to picnics and barbecues across the country, the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department along with other law enforcement across Vermont will be out in full force, stopping impaired drivers by aggressively targeting those who put lives in danger. As you prepare to drive home from the festivities, keep in mind that even one drink can be one too many.

This Fourth of July and every day, remember:  Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

Click It or Ticket Campaign

Click It or Ticket High Visibility Enforcement to Save Lives

From May 22, 2017 to June 4, 2017, the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department will participate in the nationwide mobilization Click It or Ticket campaign in an effort to save lives through high visibility enforcement efforts.  This enforcement period comes ahead of the Memorial Day holiday, one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. Utilizing current crash data, the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department will aggressively participate in this high visibility enforcement effort. Our current trends indicate an increase in distracted driving and speed related crashes.

According to research conducted by the Vermont Governor’s Highway Safety Program, 35092 people lost their lives in fatal motor vehicle crashes in the United States in 2015. While the national numbers for 2016 have not been finalized yet, we know that the final number is going to be nearly 40000. That’s more than 100 people dying in fatal crashes every single day! This is the highest number since 2008, and the two-year increase in fatalities (from 2014-2016) is the highest such increase in more than 50 years! Equally alarming here in Vermont is the fact that our statewide seatbelt usage rate actually dropped in 2016, while the national average increased to 90%. Last year approximately one-half of our fatal crash victims here in Vermont were unbelted at the time of the crash.

The Click It or Ticket campaign focuses on safety education and enforcing motor vehicle laws to save lives. Wearing your seat belt is your best defense against injury or death in the event of a crash. PLEASE DON’T BECOME A STATISTIC!!!!

READ IT AND WEEP – in a moment everything can change